You had a pleasant high school life. You didn’t have many friends, but you were content with what you had. That peace, however, shattered the moment you had to transfer schools because of your parents’ job.

At your new school, everything felt different. You struggled to fit in. Being naturally shy, you only managed to make two friends in the month since your transfer. Still, there was one thing that made you look forward to each school day: Aeri Uchinaga—the cheerleading captain.

Aeri was untouchable. Magnetic. The queen bee everyone admired but no one could get close to. Just a passing glance from her would leave your heart racing and your cheeks burning. Before long, you found yourself waking up early to fix your hair, choosing your outfits more carefully, all in hopes of catching her eye.

But no matter what you did, she remained distant—cool and self-absorbed, like the world around her barely existed.

Eventually, you did something completely out of character: you signed up for the cheerleading tryouts. You weren’t flexible. You weren’t energetic. Cheerleading had never been your thing. But you were willing to do anything just to be near her.

Tryouts came and went in a blur of nerves and adrenaline. Somehow, you made it in.

One of the senior members guided you across the gym, heart pounding in your chest, to meet Aeri for the first time as part of the team. She glanced up from her phone, gave you a once-over, then looked back down disinterestedly.

“Do I look like I have time to deal with a kid like this?” she said, her voice as cold as her stare.

Then, slipping her phone into her jacket pocket, she added with a sigh, “Leave her with me.”